Do wooden sides make the chameleons feel safer?

lisagr07

lisagr07

Avid Member
Just wondering, I see several keepers that have cages with a wooden back and both sides, screen on the front and bottom.
I was just curious if the gave them a sense of security?? And while I'm on this subject,, do you think the lighting/flashing from light to dark scenes of the TV scare a chameleon?
If I do this mine will be in the den and we watch TV in there every evening... I wouldn't want to unknowlingly be freaking it out.. :(

thanks for the help,, Lisa
 
has anyone has a problem with their chameleon seeing their reflection in the TV or computer monitor across the room?
 
People put up solid sides on cages for a couple of reasosn. one is to keep humidity and or temps up. Another reasn is that when you have two caegs side by side you want a visual barrier. Chams stress when they can see one another.
 
well, I can tell you i did this with my chameleon for the first week or so, putting a sheet over his cage, or two sides of the cardboard box it came in (so of course they fit perfectly over the cage). I did this throughout the day to minimize stress and at night so he could sleep better.

but now, strangely enough when I sit there for a while to watch TV, he will move to his perch right near the door where there is a clear view of everything outside his cage, and just sort of stare. i dont know if he is curious of the colors given off by the tv, or waiting for me to feed him. earlier tonight, i actually tried covering his cage again for the first time in a while, thinking it might make him more comfortable. well, he was not happy at all with this and immediately turned a shade of "content" when i removed the cover a few minutes later.

so, just a thought, maybe it would be something good to do only temporarily until the chameleon adjusts?
 
kthhwtt said:
but couldn't covering the sides be bad? i thought they liked the air flow or the screen?
Click to expand...

I always assumed it didnt matter cuz you would be expected to leave at least one side open, and that would be enough for some airflow. that's what I got out of it.
 
Plenty of air will move through the cage with screen only on the top and front.
Having less open areas for them to monitor (worry about predators or other chameleons) does make them feel safer and is the primary reason I have enclosures with 3 solid sides.
It is also true that they are quite happy in smaller enclosures that are built this way. There was some experimentation done with veileds and panthers, keeping them in smaller rubbermaid type enclosures with screen fronts and tops, the chameleons did quite well and to a great degree this is because they felt secure.
Kevin's reasons are also valid as this type of situation improves humidity and keeps animals from seeing each other.
I would not recommend covering a chameleon at night.

-Brad
 
thanks everyone for the replys.

so maybe covering to 2 sides and leaving the front and back open for ventalation would be a good idea, plus giving it a sense of security...

i think of all kinds of "what if's" and "i wonders" as i try to piece together the information needed to get started as a chameleon owner.. :) there are soo many conditions to consider for the animals wellbeing....
i just hope to have a happy, well adjusted chameleon and i want to learn what it will take for that to happen... :)

thanks a lot,, lisa
 
Brad, are you saying that as long as 3 sides are "covered" it's possible to put a chameleon in an enclosure smaller than is recommended normally for an open screen cage? I understand there are limits to how small it could be.

I have very little room and have stuck to very small chameleons because of it.

I was talking to my husband about veileds tonight but concluded we couldn't give it the space it needed. If 3 sides were covered, the top and front screened, what would you consider an acceptable "smaller" size for a veiled? Same question for panther.

Thanks.
 
summoner12 said:
Big chams need big cages.

I can fit you in a office cubical all your life... is that all you would need?
Click to expand...

I disagree somewhat with this statement, although I keep my big male veiled in a 24x24x48.
I have raised males to adulthood in smaller enclosures and they were fine.
18x18x36 is not a bad size for a male veiled or panther.
Ferguson discusses keeping adult panthers successfully in quite small enclosures but recommends larger.
Here's what I think: If you got a young male veiled or panther and started it off in, or eventually graduated it to a well planted enclosure that was not too far off of 18x18x36, it could live there happily for the rest of it's life.
Provided all of it's needs are met .... and having 3 solid walls won't hurt a thing.

-Brad
 
Thank you...it means a veiled/panther is something we could do in the future when we clear a few things out (as in...the teenager leaves!). Now, it wouldn't be good. That's very valuable information.

I really appreciate you taking the time to help me.
 
i keep my male panther in a 2x3x4 cage with all sides covered except the front. although he can climb all 5 sides. he seems to like it just fine. i just wish i could change my heating method (regular house bulbs) to something that doesnt burn up my humidity. like a radiant heat panel for example. has anyone experimented with this?

heres my boa and cham cages, the retic and the burm are on the other wall.
DSC_0738.jpg
 
Brad Ramsey said:
I disagree somewhat with this statement, although I keep my big male veiled in a 24x24x48.
I have raised males to adulthood in smaller enclosures and they were fine.
18x18x36 is not a bad size for a male veiled or panther.
Ferguson discusses keeping adult panthers successfully in quite small enclosures but recommends larger.
Here's what I think: If you got a young male veiled or panther and started it off in, or eventually graduated it to a well planted enclosure that was not too far off of 18x18x36, it could live there happily for the rest of it's life.
Provided all of it's needs are met .... and having 3 solid walls won't hurt a thing.

-Brad
Click to expand...

I guess I disagree. Right now I have two veiled males in smaller cages than normal because it is winter..... I hope the weather gets better soon because one of them has become very aggressive towards me since moving to a smaller cage.

I don't really know how you can determine them being 'fine' with a small cage. Sure you can keep them in small cages... but it doesn't mean it is 'good' for them. How about that orca at sea world? Could the size of his tank have anything to do with his actions? Maybe the size of my veileds cage has to do with why he literally wants to try and kill me whenever I come near his cage?

I don't think it is healthy to encourage keepers to use small cages if they don't have to. If someone doesn't have the room, they shouldn't have so many animals. Bigger is better, at least that is how I feel.

I know it sounds like I am saying one thing and doing another.... I don't keep my veileds in small cages year round and this is the first time I have ever had them in 'small' cages since they were juvi's. Next year I don't plan to put them in small cages. Either I will find new homes for them or I will have resolved the 'heating' issue for outside keeping.
 
I don't think 18x18x36 is a small cage for a 15 to 18 inch lizard.
No one has a problem with keeping Oustaleti in 24x24x48.
I also don't compare arboreal reptiles to sea mammals.
Maybe your veiled is mad because you move him around and change his territory? Just a thought.

-Brad
 
is my cage too big? 2x3x4 for a 160g panther? he uses every inch of it for his morning to mid day exercise then settles down in one of three places to sleep.
 
wheresstimpy said:
is my cage too big? 2x3x4 for a 160g panther? he uses every inch of it for his morning to mid day exercise then settles down in one of three places to sleep.
Click to expand...


I think you answered your own question. If he uses the whole cage, why would you want to give him less space? Exercise is important for chameleons, just like any other animal.
 
withlime said:
I think you answered your own question. If he uses the whole cage, why would you want to give him less space? Exercise is important for chameleons, just like any other animal.
Click to expand...
lol, i wouldnt. he's living in that cage till the day he dies, i just built it 3 months ago. but i was wondering if you guys considered 2,3,4 to be a larger than normal cage? i cant imagine keeping him in anything smaller.

since there are so many people awake right now... lol. How would you heat my cage if you had it? i think i may have too many bulbs on top and its killing my humidity...

i think i have a 60watt, 75 watt and a 81watt (one of the new weird sizes) and two 18" reptisun 5.0's. which are due to be changed soon come to think of it...

oh and the top has a lid on it, i know its hard to see in the pic
 
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